To the layman, cutting the grass is cutting the grass.

A mundane task which anyone can do - and indeed does do, every other weekend.

And these perceptions aren't helped when the sorry state of the pitches becomes a focus during a major, televised sporting championship. The adverse publicity surrounding some of the surfaces used in France these past few weeks for Euro 2016, hasn't done much to help the reputation of groundsmanship amongst the wider public.

So it was great to hear the head groundsman of The All England Club, Neil Stubley on Radio 4 (which you can listen to here) talking eloquently and passionately about the hard science behind preparing the courts for the championships at Wimbledon recently.

It's precisely this level of skill, dedication and expertise, combined with cutting edge research which makes the turf industry so fascinating and one which should have a much higher standing of respect amongst the general population.

Another good example of the industry showing off its cutting edge credentials occurred at the European Institute of Golf Course Architects’ [EIGCA] 2016 Annual Meeting and Conference recently, where technology and the part it increasingly plays in golf was the focus of the event.

The conference theme - Technology in Golf - focused minds on how golf technology is impacting the sport, on the way it is played and the way golf courses are designed, built and maintained.

As well as being the theme of the conference, technology was also put into action to assess the delegates’ performance on the golf course. Cutting edge tech such as GPS tracking identified the speed of play of delegates on the course, distance travelled by each golfer, and even their direction.

Also Trackman data was used which recorded each drive from the first tee so each golfer could learn more about their swing, striking ability and ball speed, and was backed by a video clip for each player showing the statistical breakdown of their shot.

Tom Mackenzie, EIGCA President, said, “This year’s conference on the subject of technology has set a new benchmark and I have been thrilled with the interest and feedback we have received. I am sure I was not the only one to have my eyes opened to the possibilities that exist for golf to reach new heights by embracing modern thinking and applications."

And it's this modern thinking and application of technology and science which needs to stressed to the next generation of potential greenkeepers and groundsman, that they will be working with, should they consider a career in the industry.